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H.R. 8480: Protect our Pets Act
119th Congress · introduced 2026-04-23 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
federal
Official title
Protect our Pets Act
Plain summary
Protect our Pets Act This bill increases federal criminal penalties for animal crushing. The term animal crushing includes conduct to purposely crush, burn, drown, suffocate, or impale living animals. The bill also establishes a new federal criminal offense for abandoning or endangering domesticated animals. Current law imposes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both—for animal crushing. Under this bill, an individual who commits an animal crushing offense is subject to a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both for a first offense; and a fine, a prison term of up to 15 years, or both for a second or subsequent offense. Additionally, the bill establishes a new federal criminal offense for knowingly abandoning a domesticated animal or committing an act of violence that endangers a domesticated animal. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both for a first offense; and a fine, a prison term of up to 15 years, or both for a second or subsequent offense. The bill provides exceptions, including for conduct that is (1) the slaughter of animals for food, (2) medical or scientific research, (3) necessary to protect the life or property of a person, or (4) performed as part of euthanizing an animal.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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Official text
Protect our Pets Act
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
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Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] · 1 cosponsors
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Words on this page, explained (1)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119hr8480.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hr>
Record fed-us-cong119-hr8480 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills